Tag: gotthard

GOTTHARD – Radio-Bagpipe Version “YIPPIE AYE YAY”
The perfect song for the start of the summer.

With their album Firebirth, released in 2012, the Swiss rockers stormed the charts, toured the entire world and received a platinum award!

Right on time for the start of the summer, we present you «Yippie Aye Yay», the fourth single from this successful album, in a special radio-bagpipe version.
This feel-good song is the perfect choice for the upcoming months which are promising to be really hot.
At the start of “Yippie Aye Yay” you can hear the bagpipes of the Wild Boar Clan.

The song rocks from the very first sound and rolls without stopping throughout this enchanting track. „come what may,…. shake the day,… are you coming?
What are we waiting for?

At the moment they are fervently writing songs for the new album, planned to be released in early 2014. But Gotthard just can’t live without any stage appearances in 2013 and in order not to let the fans wait too long, the band will rock – besides a few shows in Germany – the Swiss Rock’n’Road exclusively on August 10th 2013 in Bellinzona!

Just in time for the start of the Swiss tour and on the last part of their successful “Firebirth” world tour 2012, GOTTHARD heats things up with “Give Me Real” their new fan video!

What usually requires long days of shooting with countless takes was made in Chile in an afternoon “First Take.” The result is pure emotion! Like hardly any other clip it captures the magic between the band, fans and live performance.

The video was shot spontaneously at the start of the Tour during the sound check. It was only the second show with singer Nic Maeder and is the fastest video shoot of the band’s history. The director from South America only needed one run-through. The film was shot in Chile, home of creative TV talent. In addition to the band, two known South American actors can be seen, the only 25-year-old Leon Bravo and the 24-year- old Paula Pardo.

“We were immediately enthusiastic about the idea when the director came up with the idea of making the clip on tour in Chile” says bassist Marc Lynn. “We were all curious to shoot in South America and to work with a local team. Also the fact that we were on tour and did not have two whole days as usual for a video shoot but only a few hours in the afternoon, was an exciting challenge. We got to know a lot from the people there and their sweeping, spirited way of working.”

Gotthard has recently filmed a video of the first single “Starlight” from their upcoming album “Firebirth”, release June 1st (Musikvertrieb & Nuclear Blast/Warnermusic).

The clip was filmed in an old animal food factory near Berlin, which has already made aname for itself: among others, some scenes from the film “Inglorious Bastards” were shot

there.

In the video long-time Gotthard fans were immortalized. The rock fans can be seen in theclip doing what theylove to do: a concert crowd, urging on their band as loudly as possible.The filming went on into the middle of the night and,like the album title “Firebirth”, it wasextremely fiery: the band performed in the middle of blazing flames in honour of their“Firebirth”.

For GOTTHARD, the fiery filming was another event together in the good old tradition.“During the filming of the video, we could feel again that the chemistry between us and the fans was great”, the musicians said. “We are sure this will be seen in the clip”.

For the band, it is very important that some of those who have been fans for years should play a role in the filming. “We simply have the feeling that not only those of usin the band have become even closer but also our GOTTHARD-family, those who are in our surroundings,are close to us and shared with us the difficult unhappy months after Steve’s death,. Wewant to show this in the video: we are a community and we are rocking together again!”

Check out the clip “Starlight” below!

You can still get Gotthard’s song “Rembember It’s Me” for free at this link!

Dear GOTTHARD Fans – it gives us great pleasure to announce that we have found a new singer. The successor to Steve Lee, who was killed in a tragic accident last year, is Nic Maeder and is Swiss-born. Nic was born in 1971 in Lausanne, lived in Melbourne, Australia and grew up between Switzerland and “Down Under”.

“Nic not only has a great voice and is a fantastic musician, but we also have a great person in our midst”, says Leo. “We can rock again at last”.

During the months after the decision to carry on was taken, we received a huge amount of applications from all over the world; it was really overwhelming! At this point we would really like to thank everyone, especially the candidates, to whom we were not able to send a personal message. Thank you for your understanding and we wish all of you lots of luck and success in the future!

“The search took a long time but it was clear to all of us when we met Nic that he was the right guy. With him we can enjoy the music again and celebrate new success,” states Hena. “I’m really happy that we are continuing”.

The final decision for Nic Maeder was unanimous. “We noticed straight away that the chemistry, both musically and personally, was right. For us, he is the new member of the family”, says Freddy.

Nic Maeder, who besides his singing position also plays guitar and piano, is a very talented and creative person. His songwriting ability also means he fits perfectly into the Gotthard family. He is the missing piece in the puzzle.

“Music has been my companion all my life and always was an important part of it. It is a great feeling to be able to share in the birth of a song and to see how it keeps growing. I can experience that with GOTTHARD and it makes me happy. I am making music with friends,” says Nic Maeder.

Of course you can write a lot about a new singer, but in the end there is nothing better than seeing and hearing him sing. We therefore decided to produce a song plus video as a thank you to our fans, which can be downloaded free of charge. It is dedicated to all our Fans who didn’t lose their faith and trust in GOTTHARD. You have supported us with all your strength during the past months. Thank you so much!

Marc “With Nic, we have taken the right decision for GOTTHARD. A lot of courage is needed to step into the footsteps of such a great singer. For that, Nic has earned our respect. Let’s never forget this and make Nic welcome in the family.

We are in the studio at the moment and are working with renewed energy and enthusiasm on songs for a new album, which will be released in the spring of 2012… keep on rocking!!!

On the 2nd of September, a previously unreleased track entitled”The Train” with Steve Lee on vocals will be published.

“Homegrown – Alive In Lugano“ contains a live recording of the band’s concert on the 17th of July 2010 in Lugano, which was one of the last concerts with vocalist Steve Lee, who tragically died during a motorbike trip through the USA on the 5th of October 2010 in an accident which was not his fault. Due to the sudden accidental death of Steve Lee, the CD’s release was postponed.

“Lugano was where it all began and so the circle is closed of all that we’ve experienced with our friend Steve Lee“, comments bassist Marc Lynn. “The memories of the past 20 years on stage with Steve are brought again to life intensively with this album. They reflect the memorable times that we were able to enjoy on the Mount Olympus of Rock’n’Roll.“

The concert in Lugano took place during the local HOG Rally, a big annual event organized by Harley Davidson bikers. This gig in Lugano meant a lot to GOTTHARD. Being able to play for the Harley circle in their hometown was an unforgettable experience. All the GOTTHARD musicians are enthusiastic Harley-Davidson bikers themselves and perform for the purposes of such events on every occasion or take part in rallies. In addition, “Homegrown“ was one of the very few concerts where GOTTHARD played in their hometown Lugano.

“Steve was warmer and more cheerful than he had been in a long time“, guitarist Freddy Scherer remembers. “The chemistry between him and the audience couldn’t have been more intense, despite the fact that there were more than 20,000 people standing on the piazza. It is a stroke of good luck that we recorded this memorable concert, for unfortunately it was one of the last ones with Steve.“

“Music has allowed us to travel round the whole world together during the last 20 years“, guitarist Leo Leoni summarises. “In doing so, we’ve shared lots of unforgettable moments that rank among the best times of our lives. Anyhow, returning to Lugano has always been something special. It’s the place we belong to and where we have strong and deep roots.”

“Homegrown – Alive In Lugano” marks the end of an era for GOTTHARD. Currently, the band is searching for a new singer and will soon start a new chapter in the band’s history…

The Public Commeration Ceremony for Steve Lee will be Sunday October 17th at 10 A.M. on the Gotthard Pass At the Hospice. The Eulogy will be held by two Capuchin Monks (German/Italian) at 1 P.M.

Official statement of the surviving bike-group members:

On the afternoon of October 5th 2010 our group, consisting of 22 male and female bikers on 12 Harley Davidsons, was on its way from Las Vegas to St. George, Utah, in bright weather.

About 15 miles from Mesquite, a severe thunderstorm began. One of the bikes started to have some technical problems with its ignition, so we stopped on the breakdown lane and switched on our warning lights. The last guy in the group was reminding us to be very careful with the traffic passing by, so we paid attention. At the same time it started to rain more heavily, so the group decided to put on rain gear.

A truck was speeding towards the group. For some inexplicable reason, the very heavy truck crashed into several of our bikes. The impact was so severe that one of the bikes was thrown into the air, hit Steve and crushed him to the ground. The group immediately secured the accident area and started to give him first aid.

At the same time we dialled the emergency number 911 and after a few minutes the first police car arrived. The patrolman had brought a defibrillator and, with our help, he immediately started to apply it. In the meantime, in the pouring rain, we all started working together to try to save Steve’s life. A couple of minutes later, a second police car arrived and brought a complete set of first aid equipment. A helicopter also arrived. During all that time resuscitation attempts were maintained. After long minutes of trying, the doctor had to confirm that Steve was dead.

Miraculously, no other person in the group was injured. We are all aware that it could have been any one of us – and it could have even been the whole group.

Together with the local police, our tour guides organised the transport for us all to a nearby hotel in Mesquite. The hotel offered us a quiet room in which we could mourn, talk to each other and cry together.
We all agree that the tour guides prepared and handled our trip very professionally. Our group still trusts the guides 100%.

Steve’s loss is an incredible tragedy for all of us. Together we are trying to get over all the grieving and the pain and to be there for each other. It is a very hard time for all of us.

Steve Lee’s lifelong dream to drive just once through the USA, on a Harley, should have come true during these two weeks. After we started our trip in Los Angeles, we passed Death Valley and Las Vegas. Our next stop would have been St. George in Utah, from where we had planned to head for Zion National Park, Bryce Canyon and Monument Valley. This was to have been the place where Steve planned to surprise Brigitte with some very special Indian jewellery. To show her Las Vegas and to enjoy together the special atmosphere there was one of his greatest wishes for the trip.

“One thing is for sure”, Brigitte says, “I have never seen Steve as happy as during these last days.” She is utterly devastated, but is finding comfort within the group now. We will be forever connected after this tragedy.

All of us at Hard Rock Hideout are stunned and saddened by the sudden & tragic loss of Gotthard’s Steve Lee. We will never forget the incredible music that Steve has given us over the years.

Tonight’s Hard Rock Hideout Radio will feature a six song tribute to Steve Lee, plus new music from Unruly Child, Tara’s Secret, & Grand Illusion.

The show will also feature the debuts of New York City’s Starkiller, Mexico’s Scarlet Vein, and Acey Slade & the Dark Party, plus music from newcomers Judge Jackson, Glitzy Glow, Scarlet Carson, Message To Venus, Aurora Sky, & Enforcer.

Tune in tonight and every Wednesday night at 9 P.M. CST online at www.kacvfm.org & in Amarillo, Texas at KACV FM 90!

Steve Lee, singer with Swiss rock band Gotthard, has died in a motorcycle accident outside Las Vegas. He was 47 years old.

Lee, who had a British father and Swiss mother, co-founded the band in 1990 which went on to become one of the most successful Swiss acts ever. Their last 11 albums all charted at number one.

Lee, who grew up in Ticino and did an apprenticeship as a goldsmith, backed up his song-writing ability – he co-wrote many of the band’s hits – with a voice well suited to power ballads.

Gotthard’s sound and look was similar to rock bands of the Eighties and Nineties such as Bon Jovi and Def Leppard. They had recently toured with Eighties rockers Whitesnake.

Gotthard’s single Heaven, featured in the television program “Greatest Swiss Hits”.

Only two months ago Lee and his wife, a former Miss Switzerland, were involved in a car crash in Florence.

From Rob Rockitt:

This is terrible news. Steve Lee was a huge talent & the voice of the killer band Gotthard that many in the U.S. never got to know. I am shocked & stunned by this major loss to the hard rock community. My condolences go out to the the Lee family & friends, as well as the Gotthard fans worldwide.

Gotthard is back with their 9th studio release Need To Believe, and one of Switzerland’s finest exports does not disappoint. Since the release of their self-titled debut in 1992 Gotthard, which consist of Steve Lee (Vocals), Leo Leoni (Guitars), Freddy Scherer (Guitars), Marc Lynn (Bass), and Hena Habegger (Drums), has built a reputation as one of the finest and most popular hard rock bands in Europe and around the world, but they are virtually unknown here is the U.S.. Fans of blues based, Zeppelin/Whitesnake/Deep Purple influenced hard rock should be lining up to get their copy of not only Need To Believe but Gotthard’s entire catalog.

“Shangri-La” kicks Need To Believe off with a Eastern Asia flavored intro before kicking into the song. Lee’s vocals sound great as do the background vocals, and the band’s Zeppelin influence really shines through on the entire song but especially on the solo, a great way to get the album rolling. “Unspoken Words” is a rocker with stadium written all over it, Leoni and Scherer make a great guitar tandem and Marc Lynn’s thumping bass gives the song a full sound. “Need To Believe” is a dark and slow building song until it kicks in a the chorus again it is filled with some great vocals by Lee and even though the song is dark it is still very much a sing along song and Leoni has another nice solo maybe the best so far. “Unconditional Faith” is a foot tapping mid-tempo number with some mandolin added to give the song a fuller sound with the band’s Whitesnake influence starting to raise it’s head a little, but on “I Don’t Mind”, David Coverdale’s influence is shining its brightest on this rocker from the guitar intro to Lee’s vocals and the rhythm section of Lynn/Habegger sound phenomenal we even get treated with a little COW BELL. I would definitely love to hear this song in a live setting guaranteed to get the crowd going.

Another song custom built for the stadium and bic lighters is “Break Away” an epic feeling mid tempo number with Lee’s vocals shining through once again, I could see this song being played with an orchestra and it would make “Break Away” even better than it already is. “Don’t Let Me Down” is a classic sounding power ballad that back in the day would have everyone knowing who Gotthard was because it would have been all over radio. Excellent acoustic opening that is joined by some nice piano before the band kicks in at the chorus. “Right From Wrong” is a modern sounding rocker that goes for the throat and once it grabs hold it doesn’t let go, the band as a whole sounds great on this track. “Rebel Soul” and the bonus track “Ain’t Enough” are two more straight up rockers built for a stadium show.

Any fan of hard rock should have Need To Believe and pretty much any of Gotthard’s albums in their collection, as they are without a doubt one of the best hard rock bands around today.

GOTTHARD have been elected for the finale of Switzerland ´s biggest music TV show called “The Greatest Swiss Hits”. 27,52% of the audience chose the wonderful hit single ballad “Heaven”. With this result, GOTTHARD are number one with entering the finale, followed by PETER, SUE UND MARC with «Io Senza Te» (15.39 %) and FABIENNE LOUVES & MARC SWAY with «Hemmigslos Liebe» (10.28 %).

On November, 30th, the great finale will take place, broadcasted by SF – Swiss TV. Good luck for GOTTHARD and we hope for a lot of votings on November 30th!

Swiss rockers Gotthard return with their 8th studio album, Domino Effect. This is an excellent follow up to their 2005 disc, Lip Service, and has already hit #1 in Switzerland.

No one can accuse Gotthard of not giving you a release worth your money. Domino Effect has 14 songs and a bonus track, for almost a full hour of music.

This disc starts killing me almost immediately. This first two tracks, Master of Illusion and Gone Too Far are melodic, heavy rockers in the vein of the Scorpions. Singer Steve Lee, has a killer voice. He sometimes reminds me of Firehouse’s C.J. Snare, but these tunes are far heavier than anything Firehouse has ever done.

Domino Effect starts off with a riff that sounds like it came from Rob Zombie’sThunderkiss ’69, but this song has a life all its own. It is a great song with a killer groove, and is extremely catchy.

Gotthard shows that they can slow it down with the best of them. The track Falling sounds like it could have been on a Steve Perry era Journey record. Once again, another excellent track.

I must admit that the first time that I listened to The Call, I didn’t like it much. It was maybe a little too mellow. Then I watched the following video, and did a complete 180° on my opinion.

This could be a huge multi-crossover hit in the United States, if any radio stations had the balls to play it.

After the last two mid tempo numbers, Gotthard goes back to rocking with The Oscar Goes to You. This is another track that has a huge sound with radio possibility ala Bon Jovi. It is another highly enjoyable melodic rocker.

After listening to The Cruiser (Judgement Day), I am amazed how freaking great this CD is. Leo Leoni and Freddy Scherer sound so damn cool on this track.

Heal Me has all of the great catchy heavy elements that 8o’s hard rock fans are going to love. The bass on this track by Marc Lynn, reminds me a bunch of Nikki Sixx in styling. The guitars on this track are great as well.

Letter to a Friend slows the pace back down again, but only temporarily, as this track busts out into a multi tempo number that has HIT written all over it. This song has elements that reminds me quite a bit of the Scorpions. Great Stuff!

Tomorrow’s Just Begun is an acoustic based power balladthat really delivers the goods. This is another track with multi-crossover hit potential.

Come Alive has a funky drum and bass groove, that could actually be a pop/rock radio hit. This track kind of reminds me of a cross between Bon Jovi and Def Leppard.

The keyboards of Bad to the Bone have a sound the reminds a little of Deep Purple, but quite frankly, this song is closer to the style of Slippery When Wet era Bon Jovi. Steve Lee uses those same vocoder effects from Living on a Prayer. Cool Stuff!

At this point, the disc could have ended and I would have been extremely happy with the content. The final three tracks are solid though, and I am glad they are here.

Now is a hard rocking number that is Bon Jovi-esque.

Something about Where is the Love When It’s Gone had the music feel of a Jon Mellancamp track, with the addition of a heavier bass track. This track is unlike anything else on this disc.

The bonus track, Can’t Be the Real Thing is not a throw in at all. It is an upbeat heavy number, that is quite catchy. What a great track to close out this disc!

I have listened and reviewed quite a few new releases in 2007, and none of them represent that great 80’s style hard rock sound as well as Gotthard’s Domino Effect. This disc kicks major ass, and is essential to every hard rock fan on the planet. It is mind boggling how few of people in the United States knows about this band. If there is any disc that will finally put them on the map here, Domino Effect would be the one.

Quite possibly one of the best discs of 2005 is Lipservice, the 10th release by Swedish rockers Gotthard. Gotthard is well known in the UK and Europe, but continue to go unnoticed in the United States. It is really a shame, because a record this good should really be heard by the masses.

“Lipservice” has gone Double Platinum in Switzerland and continues to sell well everywhere but in the United States.

Gotthard has a sound that falls somewhere between Def Leppard and Bon Jovi, but”Lipservice” is a stronger release than either of those bands have put out in years.

Whether you want some rocking pop metal songs or some power ballads, “Lip Service” has it all.

“All We Are”, and “Dream On” start this disc off right by rocking. “Lift You Up”, should have been a massive hit here. “Everything I Want“, is an awesome Def Leppard like power ballad, and “Cupid’s Arrow” sounds a lot like a Whitesnake track musically.

“I’m Alive” is an excellent heavy track with a killer vocal by Steve Lee. “Stay For the Night” and “Anytime Anywhere” could have both been radio hits. Both tracks have a sound that is similar to House of Lords.

“Said and Done” is another quality rock track with excellent guitars of Leo Leoni and Freddy Scherer.

“Nothing Left At All” is an acoustic guitar, piano based ballad that could have been another big hit.

There is a lot to like on Lip Service. This is a very upbeat and clean sounding record. It has a good mix of excellent vocals, and great sounding guitars, crafting one of the best Hard Rock/Melodic metal discs I have ever heard. Fans of Def Leppard, Bon Jovi, Whitesnake and the Scorpions are going to like this disc a lot. All other should at least give this a listen too.